History of video game consoles (eighth generation)
In the history of video games, the eighth generation is the current iteration of video game consoles, following the previous seventh generation: Nintendo's Wii, Sony's PlayStation 3, and Microsoft's Xbox 360. This currently includes Nintendo's home console successor, the Wii U, which was released in the fourth quarter of 2012. The PlayStation 4 was officially announced on February 20, 2013, and is anticipated for a Christmas release.http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/game/3350902/ps4-release-date-specs-confirmed/ PS4 release date specs confirmed The successor to the Xbox 360 (codenamed "Durango" ) is rumoured to be released in late 2013. Bloomberg]]|accessdate=1 December 2012|last1=Bass|first1=Dina|last2=King|first2=Ian|date=30 November 2012}} For video game handhelds, the generation began in February 2011 with the release of the Nintendo 3DS, successor to the Nintendo DS, in Japan, followed by a North American and European release in March. The successor of the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation Vita, was released in December 2011 in Japan, and Western markets in February 2012. Claims have been made that the eighth generation of video game consoles will face stiff competition from the smartphone, tablet, and Smart TV gaming markets. Due to the proliferation of the aforementioned devices, some analysts speculate the eighth generation to be the last generation of home consoles. Other consoles such as the Shield Project, Steam Box, and GameStick are also attempting to compete in this market; however these are seldom referred to as "eighth generation consoles". Transition Though prior console generations have normally occurred in five to six-year cycles, the transition from seventh to eighth generation units has lasted more than six years. The transition is also unusual in that the prior generation's best-selling unit, the Wii, is the first to be replaced in the eighth generation. Microsoft have stated they have begun looking at their next console, but as of 2011, they, along with Sony, consider themselves only halfway through a ten-year lifecycle for their current seventh-generation offerings. Interview with Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. Sony and Microsoft representatives have stated that the addition of motion controllers and camera-based controllers like Kinect and PlayStation Move have extended these systems' lifetimes. "The Xbox 360's recently unveiled motion control technology will help extend the console's life span into 2015, according to Microsoft executive Shane Kim." Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had stated that his company would be releasing the Wii U due to declining sales of seventh generation home consoles and that "the market is now waiting for a new proposal for home consoles". Sony considered making its next console a digital download only machine, but decided against it due to concerns about the inconsistency of internet speeds available globally, especially in developing countries. Home consoles Wii U In November 2010, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the release of the next generation of Nintendo would be determined by the continued success of the Wii. Nintendo announced their successor to the Wii, the Wii U, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 on June 7, 2011. The Wii U was released in North America on November 18, 2012, in Europe on November 30, 2012 and in Japan on December 8, 2012. After the announcement, several journalists classified the system as the first eighth generation home console. However, prominent sources have brought this into speculation because of its comparative lack of power with respect to the announced specifications for PlayStation 4 and the successor to the Xbox 360. The Wii U's main controller, the Wii U GamePad, features an embedded touchscreen that can work as an auxiliary interactive screen in a fashion similar to the Nintendo DS/3DS, or if compatible with "Off TV Play", can even act as the main screen itself, enabling games to be played without the need of a television. The Wii U is compatible with its predecessor's peripherals, such as the Wii Remote Plus, the Nunchuk, and the Wii Balance Board. PlayStation 4 On February 20, 2013, Sony announced the PlayStation 4. The release date is set for Q4 2013. The PlayStation 4's main controller is the fourth iteration of Sony's DualShock controller series. Similar in design to its predecessors the DualShock 4's new feature a 2 point touchpad with click mechanism and capacitive type and two new buttons called "Options" and "Share" instead of the "Select" and "Start" buttons seen in the previous models. The PlayStation 4 will be also compatible with the PlayStation Move controller and it was announced that some games may be played with the PlayStation Vita including being viewed with the portable's screen. Home console comparison | PlayStation Network |- style="text-align:center;" !Regional lockout | Yes | |- style="text-align:center;" !List of games |List of Wii U games |List of PlayStation 4 games |- !Backward compatibility |'Nintendo optical discs' *Wii Downloadable only *WiiWare *'Virtual Console' **Nintendo Entertainment System **Super Nintendo Entertainment System **Nintendo 64 **Nintendo Gamecube **Sega Master System **Sega Genesis **Neo Geo **Commodore 64 **TurboGrafx-16 **MSX **Virtual Console Arcade | Optical disc/download Not compatible with PlayStation 3 titles; other systems unannounced Gaikai cloud streaming (not at launch) *PlayStation *PlayStation 2 *PlayStation 3 |} Handheld systems Nintendo 3DS The Nintendo 3DS is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Nintendo DS. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software. Announcing the device in March 2010, Nintendo officially unveiled it at E3 2010, with the company inviting attendees to use demonstration units. The console succeeds the Nintendo DS series of handheld systems, which primarily competes with PlayStation Portable. It competes with Sony's handheld, the PlayStation Vita. The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26, 2011; in Europe on March 25, 2011; in North America on March 27, 2011; and in Australia on March 31, 2011. On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced a major price drop starting August 12. In addition, as of September 2011 consumers who bought the system at its original price have access to ten Nintendo Entertainment System games before they are available to the general public, after which the games may be updated to the versions publicly released on the Nintendo eShop. In December 2011, ten Game Boy Advance games were made available to consumers who bought the system at its original price at no charge, with Nintendo stating it currently has no plans to release to the general public. On June 21, 2012, Nintendo announced a new, bigger model of the 3DS called the Nintendo 3DS XL. It has 90% larger screens than the 3DS and slightly longer battery life. It was released on July 28, 2012 in Europe and August 19, 2012 in North America. PlayStation Vita PlayStation Vita is a handheld game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation Portable as part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices. It was released in Japan and parts of Asia on December 17, 2011 and was released in Europe and North America on February 22, 2012. The handheld includes two analog sticks, a OLED multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and optional 3G. Internally, the Vita features a 4 core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor and a 4 core SGX543MP4+ graphics processing unit, as well as LiveArea software as its main user interface, which succeeds the XrossMediaBar. The device is fully backward-compatible with PlayStation Portable games digitally released on the PlayStation Network via the PlayStation Store. However, PS One Classics/TurboGrafx-16 titles were not compatible at launch. The Vita's dual analog sticks are supported on selected PSP games via button mapping. The graphics for PSP releases are up-scaled, with a smoothing filter to reduce pixelation. Handheld comparison | |- ! Preloaded applications | *Health & Safety Information *Nintendo 3DS / DS Game Card *Nintendo 3DS Camera (Photo + Video Recording and Editing) *Nintendo 3DS SoundNintendo Shares Updated 3DS Specs andriasang.com *Nintendo eShop *Mii Maker *StreetPass Mii Plaza *AR Games *Face Raiders *Activity LogNintendo 3DS features Game Coins system aussie-nintendo *Nintendo Zone *Nintendo Video *Swapnote (Nintendo Letter Box in PAL region) *Eurosport (PAL region only) *Netflix (w/ paid subscription) *Hulu Plus (w/ paid subscription) *DS Download PlayDS games on 3DS – a few more details GoNintendo *3DS Download Play *System Settings *Game Notes *Friend List *Notifications *Internet Browser | * Trophies * PlayStation Store * Friends * Party * Group Messaging * Notifications * Music * Videos * Photos * Internet Browser * Email * Maps * Settings * Content Manager * Remote Play * Cross-Controller * Welcome Park * near |- style="text-align:center;" !Regional lockout |Yes |No |- style="text-align:center;" !List of games |List of Nintendo 3DS games |List of PlayStation Vita games |- !Backward compatibility |'Nintendo Game Cards' *Nintendo DS/DSi Downloadable only *DSiWare *'Virtual Console' :*Game Boy :*Game Boy Color :*Game Boy Advance :*Sega Game Gear :*Nintendo Entertainment System |'Downloadable only' *PlayStation * PlayStation Portable * PlayStation minis |} References Category:History of video games Category:Eighth-generation video game consoles